Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Guangzhou, Guangdong, China metro area from 1950 to 2025.

By 2035, nearly ** million people are predicted to call Guangzhou home. As one of the key cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou’s vibrancy is very attractive to people searching for their opportunities there.

Megacity – Guangzhou

As China’s cities become increasingly urbanized, the demographic of this megacity has also changed considerably over the years, with more and more Chinese locals and foreigners opting to dwell in Guangzhou for work and cultural opportunities. Together with Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, Guangzhou is listed as one of China’s first-tier cities, indicating its great economic power and developing potential. Guangzhou has been a large port of China for over *** thousand years and has contributed significantly to the economic and cultural exchange between China and the world. Today, the Guangzhou Port is one of the largest in the world.

Multicultural hub

The traces of immigrants from different times to this city can be easily found in Guangzhou’s architecture. In the former colonial area, there are still plenty of old western style buildings. Today’s Guangzhou is one of the Chinese cities with the highest density of skyscrapers in some business areas. The Canton Tower, landmark of Guangzhou, is *** meters tall and the second tallest tower in the world after Tokyo Skytree. In this capital city of the Guangdong province, Cantonese culture is highly respected and well developed. Guangzhou is also one of the Chinese cities with the largest foreign population. Cantonese, Mandarin and English are the widely used languages of the residents in Guangzhou.

Population: Census: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 18,676.605 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,701.900 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated decadal, averaging 12,701.900 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,676.605 Person th in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 9,942.022 Person th in 12-01-2000. Population: Census: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.

Population: Inflow: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 220.500 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 217.698 Person th for 2022. Population: Inflow: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 158.977 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 266.665 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 106.739 Person th in 2014. Population: Inflow: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Non-natural Change.

This statistic illustrates the population of the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area cities in 2023. That year, the population of Guangzhou amounted to approximately ***** million people, making it the largest city by population in the region.

Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Household Registration data was reported at 10,566.070 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,349.074 Person th for 2022. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Household Registration data is updated yearly, averaging 7,066.438 Person th from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2023, with 46 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,566.070 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 4,828.961 Person th in 1978. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Household Registration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City.

As of 2023, around **** percent of the total population of Guangdong province in China were 65 years old or older. Guangdong is the most populous province in China, and its population density is higher than in many countries in the world.

This statistic illustrates the population of the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area cities in 2024. That year, the population of Guangzhou amounted to approximately 18.98 million people, making it the largest city by population in the region.

In 2024, the population of Guangdong province in China amounted to around ***** million inhabitants, ranking first among all the provinces in China. The population density in Guangdong is also higher than in many countries in the world.

Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 11.070 ‰ in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.720 ‰ for 2022. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 10.905 ‰ from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.730 ‰ in 2017 and a record low of 7.920 ‰ in 2003. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate.

As of January 2024, Guangzhou had the largest metropolitan population in the Asia-Pacific region, with approximately **** million inhabitants. Tokyo had the second-largest metropolitan population of around ** million inhabitants. There were a total of ** megacities with a population of over ** million inhabitants in the Asia-Pacific region as of January 2024.

Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Zengcheng data was reported at 860.000 Person th in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 850.000 Person th for 2013. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Zengcheng data is updated yearly, averaging 850.000 Person th from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2014, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 900.000 Person th in 2009 and a record low of 790.000 Person th in 2005. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Zengcheng data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GJ: Population: County Level Region.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Canton population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of Canton across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2023, the population of Canton was 36,857, a 3.04% increase year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, Canton population was 35,771, an increase of 3.29% compared to a population of 34,630 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Canton increased by 28,419. In this period, the peak population was 36,857 in the year 2023. The numbers suggest that the population has not reached its peak yet and is showing a trend of further growth. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2023

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2023)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the Canton is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Canton population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Canton Population by Year. You can refer the same here

In 2023, the total population of the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area reached around 86.9 million. In terms of population, China's Greater Bay Area was larger than other major Bay Areas in the world. However, per capita GDP was only about half of that in the Tokyo Bay Area and only one seventh of that in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Number of Household: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 3,421.606 Unit th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,361.935 Unit th for 2022. Number of Household: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 2,620.889 Unit th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,421.606 Unit th in 2023 and a record low of 2,100.434 Unit th in 2000. Number of Household: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: No of Household.

Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 86.760 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 86.480 % for 2022. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 84.380 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2023, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 86.760 % in 2023 and a record low of 83.790 % in 2010. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Urbanization Rate.

In 2024, the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area amounted to more than two trillion U.S. dollars. That year, the GDP of the city of Shenzhen alone amounted to around 517 billion U.S. dollars, ranking first among cities in the Greater Bay Area. The Greater Bay Area in China The Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area is an economic zone comprised of the two special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macao and nine cities of Guangdong province in mainland China, namely Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing. The concept of the Greater Bay Area has been formulated by the Chinese government to further integrate Macao and Hong Kong into the Chinese mainland and to boost the economy of the cities in the Pearl River Delta. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Pearl River Delta had been one of the prime regions for economic development, but in recent years it has lost ground to the Yangtze River Delta in East China, the largest of the economic macro-regions in China. A development plan for the Greater Bay Area, which was initiated in 2017 and further elaborated thereafter, aims at developing the region into the world's largest and economically most successful Bay Area. GDP development in the Greater Bay Area In 2022, the GDP of the Greater Bay Area cities was still affected by the coronavirus pandemic and decreased slightly in U.S. dollar terms compared to the previous year. However, the development was uneven, with some of the cities on the mainland experiencing strong economic growth, while GDP growth in Hong Kong and Macau still suffered significantly from the pandemic. In 2024, per capita GDP in the Greater Bay Area ranged at about 23,783 U.S. dollars, which was one of the highest values in China. However, per capita GDP in Hong Kong and Macao is still considerably higher then in the neighboring cities on the mainland.

Continuous variables were described by means ±SD and evaluated by t-test.aMean intakes of food groups were adjusted for daily energy intake using the residual method. The mean of daily energy intake was 1355 kcal (male) or 1278 kcal (female).

Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Usual Residence data was reported at 18,827.000 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 18,734.100 Person th for 2022. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Usual Residence data is updated yearly, averaging 12,795.150 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,827.000 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 9,496.800 Person th in 2005. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Usual Residence data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GBA: Population: GBA.

1 Continuous variables were shown as the means±standard deviation. Categorical variables were shown as numbers (percents). Variables were evaluated in conditional logistic model.2 Variables were scored as yes or no, and numbers (percents) of yes responses were listed. House decoration refers to replacement of floor board, wall, and indoor painting for almost a whole flat or house; new furniture refers to a set of new furniture for living room(s) and bed room(s). 3 Occupation was categorized into 3 levels on the basis of the intensity of occupational physical activity.4 Smoking status was defined as current smoker, ex-smoker or nonsmoker (a smoker was defined as someone smoking at least one cigarette per day for at least six months).5 Passive smoking was designated as exposure to other peoples' tobacco smoke for at least 5 minutes daily in the previous five years.6 Physical activity was defined as occupational, leisure time and household chores activity, and evaluated by metabolic equivalent hours per day (MET∙ h/d).Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; NPC: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; MET: metabolic equivalent1 .